Small Town Socialite

The Kind Kitchen & Express Kiosk is a Pacific-based business owned by Sam Mueller, a self-taught personal chef. While a big part of her business is offering healthy prepared meals to people, Sam is also passionate about partnering with other local small business owners and bringing the community together at events, like classes she leads where attendees can learn a new food-related skill.

I attended the most recent event, a charcuterie and wine pairing class held at Winehouse 66, a wine bar and event space in Pacific. The evening was fun, educational, and of course, delicious. During the course of the evening, myself and the other guests of the class sampled four wines that were paired with a charcuterie item that accompanied the wine. 

After each pour, Natalie with Winehouse 66 shared details about the specific wine, while Sam delivered a charcuterie selection and explained the components in each selection. And since nothing can enhance a great wine like cheese, naturally, there were a lot of different cheeses. Everything from an amazing truffle cheddar to a soft, silky goat cheese, brie, and Manchego were present. Paired with the cheeses were savory bites like Genoa salami and capicola, to sweeter pairings such as dried apricot and blackberry jam.

Once the tasting portion was complete, we got started on making our own charcuterie boxes. Sam provided the delectable ingredients like olives, fruit, crackers, meat and cheeses, and demonstrated techniques, like how to make a salami rose, that helped us make Pinterest-worthy charcuterie boards in the class, and that’s a skill I know I intend to use in the future. Everyone who attended the class was able to take their charcuterie box home with them, except for people like me, who couldn’t resist snacking on it as soon as I’d assembled it to my liking and snapped a quick picture!

More about The Kind Kitchen

While the events are a fun way to bring people together, most days you can find Sam preparing meals in a private commercial kitchen in Union. The selections vary from week to week, but they’re shared on the business’s website, where customers can pre-order their meals and pick up their orders at the kiosk, located inside the Beauty & Barber Bar salon at 203 N. First St., Unit 1B in Pacific. Customers that choose not to pre-order meals can also drop by the kiosk and pick up grab and go meals or snacks.

Options typically include a breakfast offering, such as breakfast bowls, entrees that can be eaten for lunch or dinner, like soups, bowls, and sometimes simple, yet healthy, selections like a protein and one or two kinds of vegetables. 

No matter the offerings, at the heart of The Kind Kitchen is the mission to provide meals that nourish the body through using fresh ingredients and a focus on healthy, protein-forward items that are as flavorful and delicious as they are nutritious. Protein is such an integral part of the menu, that Sam created a protein dessert option called pronuts.

The delightful treats are something you can feel good about eating, while also helping you hit your daily protein goals. As the name implies, pronuts are a protein donut that come in rotating flavors and are available at the kiosk, as well as at the nearby Little Ireland coffee shop. 

To find out more details about the menu offerings and ordering options, as well as any upcoming events or classes, visit The Kind Kitchen’s website or follow it on Facebook.